President William Ruto praised Brian Kipchumba, a young Kenyan working for a German-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) company remotely during his speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Drawing from a personal encounter in Kaiboi, a remote village in rural Kenya, President Ruto recounted his meeting with Brian Kipchumba, a young diploma student working for an AI company based in Germany.
“I had a month ago in Kaiboi, a small village in rural Kenya, where I met a young diploma student, Brian Kipchumba who works for an AI company based in Germany, from his laptop,” Ruto stated.
Basing on Kipchumba’s example, President Ruto highlighted the role digital economy has played in providing employment across the globe for the youth without having them leave their homes.
The narrative extended beyond Kenya’s borders, as President Ruto shared insights from his visit to the Silicon Valley, where he learned that Apple had employed approximately 23,000 Kenyans all operating from Nairobi.
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“When I visited the Silicon Valley last year, Apple’s Tim Cook informed me that his company now employs about 23,000 Kenyans, all working from Nairobi,” Ruto said.
Ruto Caution and Call for Action
Additionally, the head the state cautioned against succumbing to fear and hesitation in the face of technological advancements, emphasizing the importance of embracing progress to avoid stagnation.
“We must not allow a fear of future unknowns to deprive brilliant youngsters like Brian of opportunities.
“If we sacrifice the benefits of progress hoping for security, we risk losing both,” he stated.
He called for collective action for the establishment of a dedicated multilateral agency tasked with safeguarding the interests of humanity in the digital age.
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“We must not hesitate to mobilize collective action, and even anchor it through a dedicated multilateral agency concerned with how humanity will flourish on a thriving planet in the future,” President Ruto added.
Encounter With Brian Kipchumba
The President met Brian Kipchumba during the launch of Kaiboi National Polytechnic and commissioning of the Jitume ICT Laboratory in Nandi in January 16.
While interacting with youth at the hub, Brian an ICT student showcased his success on Remotasks an online site that pays employees to complete data entry tasks inclusive of AI development, Image analysis, Content analysis among other jobs.
In a video that was circulated on social media, President William Ruto seemed to be amazed by Brian’s achievement in online working.
“I want to show you my success through the digital platforms, and I am still in school,” Brian told the president.
President William Ruto was speaking in Dubai on Tuesday, February 13 during the World Governments Summit.